Editing Florence Lawrence (section)

==Early career: film and stage==
[[File:Florence Lawrence02 1908.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait of Lawrence by Frank C. Bangs Studio, c. 1908]]

Lawrence was one of several [[Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood|Canadian pioneers in the film industry]] who were attracted by the rapid growth of the fledgling motion picture business. In 1906, she appeared in her first motion picture. The next year, she appeared in 38 movies for the [[Vitagraph Studios|Vitagraph film company]]. During the spring and summer of 1906, Lawrence auditioned for a number of Broadway productions, but she did not have success. However, on December 27, 1906, she was hired by the [[Edison Manufacturing Company]] to play Daniel Boone's daughter in ''[[Daniel Boone (1907 film)|Daniel Boone; or, Pioneer Days in America]]''. She got the part because she knew how to ride a horse. Both she and her mother received parts and were paid five dollars per day for two weeks of outdoor filming in freezing weather.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

In 1907, she went to work for the Vitagraph Company in Brooklyn, New York, acting as Moya, an Irish peasant girl in a one-reel version of [[Dion Boucicault]]'s ''[[The Shaughraun]]''. She returned briefly to stage acting, playing the leading role in a road show production of Melville B. Raymond's ''Seminary Girls''. Her mother played her last role in this production. After touring with the roadshow for a year, Lawrence resolved that she would "never again lead that gypsy life". In 1908, she returned to Vitagraph where she played the lead role in ''The Dispatch Bearer''. Largely as a result of her equestrian skills, she received parts in 11 films in the next five months.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

===Biograph Studios===
[[File:Florence Lawrence in Ingomar the barbarian 1908.jpg|thumb|Florence Lawrence in [[Ingomar, the Barbarian]] (1908)]]
Also at Vitagraph was a young actor, [[Harry Solter]], who was looking for "a young, beautiful equestrian girl" to star in a film to be produced by the [[Biograph Studios]] under the direction of [[D. W. Griffith]]. Griffith, the most prominent producer-director at Biograph Studios, had noticed the beautiful blonde-haired woman in one of Vitagraph's films. Because the film's actors received no mention, Griffith had to make discreet inquiries to learn she was Florence Lawrence and to arrange a meeting. Griffith had intended to give the part to [[Florence Turner]], Biograph's leading lady, but Lawrence managed to convince Solter and Griffith that she was the best suited for the starring role in ''[[The Girl and the Outlaw]]''. With the Vitagraph Company, she had been earning $20 per week, working also as a costume seamstress over and above acting. Griffith offered her a job, acting only, for $25 per week.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

[[File:Florence Lawrence Harry Solter Mack Sennett in the slave.jpg|thumb|left|Florence Lawrence, [[Harry Solter]] and [[Mack Sennett]] in ''The Slave'' (1909)]]
After her success in this role, she appeared as a society belle in ''[[Betrayed by a Handprint]]'' and as an Indian in ''[[The Red Girl]]''. In total, she had parts in most of the 60 films directed by Griffith in 1908. Toward the end of 1908, Lawrence married Harry Solter. Lawrence gained much popularity, but because her name never was publicized, fans began writing to the studio asking to know her identity. Even after she had gained wide recognition, particularly after starring in the comedy series ''[[Mr. and Mrs. Jones]]'' and the highly successful ''[[Resurrection (1909 film)|Resurrection]]'', Biograph Studios refused to publicly announce her name and fans simply called her the "[[Biograph Girl]]".<ref name=basinger>{{cite book |last=Basinger |first=Jeanine |title=Silent Stars |year=1999 |publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf]] |isbn=0-679-43840-8 |page=7}}</ref> During cinema's formative years, silent screen actors were not named because studio owners feared that fame might lead to demands for higher wages and because many actors were embarrassed to be performing pantomime in motion pictures. She continued to work for Biograph in 1909. Her demand to be paid by the week rather than daily was met, and she received double the normal rate.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

[[File:Arthur Johnson and Florence Lawrence in Resurrection 1909.jpg|thumb|[[Arthur V. Johnson]] and Florence Lawrence in [[Resurrection (1909 film)|Resurrection]] (1909)]]

===Independent Moving Pictures Company===
[[File:Advertisement for Florence Lawrence in The Broken Oath.jpg|thumb|left|Carl Laemmle's promotion of ''[[The Broken Oath]]'' starring Lawrence ([[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] 1910)]]
Finding themselves 'at liberty', Lawrence and Solter in 1909 were able to join the [[Independent Moving Pictures]] Company of America (IMP). The company, founded by [[Carl Laemmle]], the owner of a film exchange (who later absorbed IMP into [[Universal Pictures]], of which he was founder and president), was looking for experienced filmmakers and actors. Needing a star, he lured Lawrence away from Biograph by promising to give her a marquee. First, Laemmle organized a publicity stunt by starting a rumor that Lawrence had been killed by a street car in New York City. Then, after gaining much media attention, he placed ads in the newspapers that announced "We nail a lie" and included a photo of Lawrence. The ad declared she is alive and well and making ''[[The Broken Oath]]'', a new movie for his IMP Film Company to be directed by Solter.

Laemmle had Lawrence make a personal appearance in St. Louis, Missouri in March 1910 with her leading man to show her fans that she was very much alive, making her one of the early performers not already famous in another medium to be identified by name by her studio.<ref>Florence Lawrence and [[Florence Turner]] of [[Vitagraph]] were publicized by name by their studios to the general public in March 1910, making them the first true "movie stars". Eileen Bowser, ''The Transformation of Cinema, 1907–1915'', University of California Press, 1994, pp. 112–13; {{ISBN|978-0-520-08534-3}}.</ref>

===Lubin Studios===
By late 1910, Lawrence left IMP to work for [[Lubin Studios]], advising her fellow Canadian, the 18-year-old [[Mary Pickford]], to take her place as IMP's star.<ref name=basinger/>

===Victor Film Company===
[[File:After All 1912.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Scene of Lawrence (far right) in 1912 [[Victor Studios|Victor]] production ''After All''; other cast are (from left) [[Owen Moore]], [[Victory Bateman]] on step, and [[Gladden James]].]]
In 1912, Lawrence and Solter made a deal with Carl Laemmle, forming their own company. Laemmle gave them complete artistic freedom in the company, named [[Victor Studios|Victor Film Company]], and paid Lawrence $500 per week as the leading lady, and Solter $200 per week as director. They established a film studio in [[Fort Lee, New Jersey]] and made a number of films starring Lawrence and [[Owen Moore]], then sold to [[Universal Pictures]] in 1913. With this new prosperity, Florence was able to realize a 'lifelong dream,' buying a {{convert|50|acre|ha|adj=on}} estate in River Vale, New Jersey.<ref>[https://wfpp.cdrs.columbia.edu/pioneer/ccp-florence-lawrence/ Florence Lawrence] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922121611/https://wfpp.cdrs.columbia.edu/pioneer/ccp-florence-lawrence/ |date=September 22, 2015 }}, Women Film Pioneers Project; accessed September 23, 2015. "Florence Lawrence intended her last Victor photoplay to be her second two-reel film ''The Lady Leone'' (1912), and after its completion, she and Solter retired to their home in River Vale, New Jersey."</ref><ref>[http://www.pascackhistoricalsociety.org/educators-corner/qa PHS Answer Girl & Curator] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204164050/http://www.pascackhistoricalsociety.org/educators-corner/qa |date=February 4, 2015}}, Pascack Historical Society; accessed September 23, 2015; "Florence Lawrence was America's first movie star according to movie historians. She lived at 565 Rivervale Road in River Vale from 1913 through 1916."</ref> In August 1912, she had a fight with her husband, in which he "made cruel remarks about his mother-in-law". He left and went to Europe. However, he wrote "sad" letters to her every day, telling her of his plans to commit suicide. His letters "softened her feelings", and they were re-united in November 1912. Lawrence announced her intention to retire.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

[[File:Owen Moore Florence Lawrence 1912.jpg|thumb|left|[[Owen Moore]] talks to Florence Lawrence in the silent drama, ''The Redemption of Riverton'' (1912)]]
She was persuaded to return to work in 1914 for her company (Victor Film Company), which had been acquired by [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]]. During the filming of ''Pawns of Destiny'' in 1915, a staged fire got out of control. Lawrence was burned, her hair was singed, and she suffered a serious fall which fractured her spine.<ref name=reading/> She went into shock for months. She returned to work, but collapsed after the film was completed. To add to her problems, Universal refused to pay her medical expenses, leaving Lawrence feeling betrayed. In mid-1916, she returned to work for Universal and completed ''[[Elusive Isabel]]''. However, the strain of working took its toll on her, and she suffered a serious relapse. She was completely paralyzed for four months. In 1921, she traveled to Hollywood to attempt a comeback, but had little success. She received a leading role in a minor melodrama (''[[The Unfoldment]]''), and then two supporting roles. All her film work after 1924 was in uncredited bit parts.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}